1.3 Layer Challenges

As much as I love keyboard layers, it would be unfair to not talk about the challenges that layers have. A challenge is anything that holds keyboard layers back from being adopted, shared, or accepted. These challenges do not apply to everyone and some can be overcame, but are:

• Human Challenges

• Keyboard Challenges

• Knowledge Challenges

Human Challenges

• Cost: ergo keyboards that have thumb keys are the best for layers but cost $300-$400

• Time: learning new layers has an initial time investment before benefits are realized

• Memory: deviating from years of developed muscle memory is hard

• Anatomy: typing comfort of each key is different depending on the users hand size making some ergo keyboards and layers less ergonomical

Keyboard Challenges

There are many keyboard customizations and requirements that have to be considered when sharing layers. Having all these options is not bad, but it does make it harder to share ideas across different keyboard communities.

Learning, creating and sharing layers is difficult because:

• There are many incompatible environments i.e. (operating system, firmware, and software)

• Keyboards have different key orientation and key counts making layers harder to share

Knowledge Challenges

The introduction to 3D printers and open source code has created a strong DIY communities creating ergo keyboards. But if you don't have the technical knowledge, resources or time then getting an ergo keyboard used to be out of the question.

Fortunately for non keyboard-guru's, commercialized keyboard manufacturers started producing ergo keyboards introducing a new audience to the ergo keyboard community. I am apart of this group and I will share my experience in how to make functional layers through this gitbook. This gitbook addresses the knowledge gap in the community and aims to make keyboard layers easier to learn and create.